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The Hunt for an Assassin. Review: The Americans – “Mutually Assured Destruction”

  • By

  • March 20, 2013

  • 6 mins to read

Season 1, Episode 8

Air Date: Wednesday, March 20, 2013, 10 pm ET/PT on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

 

Now that the Soviet Union has decided not to go through with its plans to eliminate 14 of the United States’ top level scientists, Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip (Matthew Rhys) are charged with finding, and stopping, the contract killer (Chris Sullivan) who was hired to get the job done. Problem is, Agent Gaad (Richard Thomas) instructs his team, including Stan (Noah Emmerich) and Chris (Max Hernández), to do the same. It should be interesting to see who gets to the assassin first.

Elizabeth does a good job of backing up Philip on the job but it looks like there’s trouble on the horizon in their personal life.

“Mutually Assured Destruction” opens with a lovely, and fun, scene in the Jennings’ kitchen with Elizabeth and Philip laughing and teasing one another. Something tells me this isn’t going to last for long, especially when Elizabeth finds out what really happened between Irina (Marina Squerciati) and Philip last week. What a shame; they look like they’re really enjoying each other.

As much as I enjoy Martindale as an actress, and she is superb in The Americans, I’m beginning to immensely dislike her character, Claudia. Not only is she mean, she’s also mean-spirited. I don’t know what else Philip has to do to prove himself to her, but trying to come between the Jennings’ marriage because she doesn’t trust him isn’t right. Since Claudia feels such a “comraderie” with Elizabeth, why doesn’t she trust Elizabeth’s instincts? But the bigger question is, with the emotions Elizabeth has been feeling for Philip of late, why doesn’t she trust her own instincts?

Philip finds the assassin.

With extremely little information about the assassin, other than his preferred modus operandi involves explosives, Elizabeth and Philip head off to find him by visiting someone who is known for selling the items necessary for making bombs. Can you believe the balls on little Lana (Sadie Sink) when she thinks her father (Shuler Hensley) is in trouble? I wonder whether she knows what her father does for a living, or whether she’s just trying to protect him. I don’t blame the man for feeling as safe as he does with a daughter like that around. And to think she got the drop on Elizabeth like that!

Philip is one smart cookie when it comes to Martha (Alison Wright). He knows he won’t get anything by asking for information from her outright, so he uses some brilliant reverse psychology to motivate her. The only thing that doesn’t ring true in this scene is the pair of black briefs Philip is wearing before jumping into bed with her. I don’t recall seeing anything like that in the 60s, and I know Calvin Klein didn’t begin designing his men’s underwear line until the late 1970s.

Max Hernández has been sorely underused in The Americans so far. Chris’ only purpose, to date, as I see it, is to pursue Martha, much to her chagrin. She’s way too hooked on Clark/Philip to be interested in Chris, though. I wonder how she’s going to feel when she learns she’s been providing top secret information to a Commie instead of the true blue American she believes Clark/Philip to be. But something else is up with Chris. Do you see how his hand twitches when Gaad informs the group of the death of one of the scientists, as well as three FBI agents? I’m not sure what that means but I’m concerned that Chris is now following Martha wherever she goes. Does he suspect something, or he is merely acting stalkerish?

No good can come of Stan and Nina’s relationship.

I’m not quite sure what to make of the scenes with Stan and Nina (Annet Mahendru) in their new private apartment. Is Stan really that naïve to think Nina has fallen for him? For an FBI agent, he sure is gullible, at least when it comes to women—or should I say, spies. My first thought was that perhaps Nina is falling for Stan but then I began to wonder whether she’s telling the truth about helping him. She is in a better position now that she’ll be working directly with Arkady (Lev Gorn), and getting Stan the information he needs might entice Gaad to “extricate” her.

It saddens me to say I was disappointed with “Mutually Assured Destruction.” While it moves Philip and Elizabeth’s relationship along, albeit not in an area I care for, it is more a filler episode than anything else. It moves slowly in parts, and is nothing like I expected it to be. Where’s the flash, bang, boom? OK, there was one instance, but still… And the FBI doesn’t do anything to find out which scientists have been targeted or who’s doing the targeting. Hopefully, we’ll have more action next week.

Tune in to The Americans, Wednesdays, 10 pm ET/PT, only on FX.

LIKE The Americans on Facebook, and follow the show on Twitter. Visit the show’s official website for fun things to do, download wallpaper, and watch exclusive videos and more.

You may also want to follow some of the show’s actors on Twitter:  Philip @MatthewRhys, Stan Beeman @NoahEmmerich, Nina @AnnetMahendru, and Chris Amador @maxitois4real (Max Hernandez).

All photos courtesy of Craig Blankenhorn / © 2013 FX Networks. All Rights Reserved.

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!